Outside the Box with artist Casey Spooner

Feb. 23, 2012

Artist Casey Spooner / Courtesy of Casey Spooner

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Written by: Renata Parker

Photos provided by: Casey Spooner

You may not have heard the name Casey Spooner just yet but chances are you will. An accomplished artist, musician, actor, writer and producer, Spooner’s multi-faceted approach has made quite an impact in the world of performance art. At 42, Spooner, who grew up in Greenville, can now add the title of movie producer to his impressive resume after the completion of his recent film.

“The most important thing for me is always to create something that holds my own attention,” Spooner said. “I work very selfishly. I have demanding tastes and it takes a lot to satisfy me. When I make an image, film, song, performance, I hold a high bar on what is creatively compelling.”

Don’t try to put Spooner’s work into a box unless it’s a newly defined category. He is a chameleon. Spooner pursues each of his projects with the same raw passion and creative brilliance, fusing layer upon layer of rich, edgy experiences to form the next endeavor.

Spooner’s first introduction to live performance art was during a Fleshtones concert while attending the University of Georgia in Athens. “It was an electric experience. I had never been in a room with that kind of energy and excitement. It was ecstatic and religious for me.” The experience ignited a calling, but it wasn’t until 10 years after college that Spooner began producing music.

His professional journey began in New York with the launch of Fisherspooner, a performance art band he co-founded. Fisherspooner generated star-status buzz for the its innovative and elaborate productions of choreographed fashion, light, visuals, music and electronics, and has collaborated with the likes of David Bowie, Kylie Minogue and Karl Lagerfeld, to name a few.

“I love my work in Fischerspooner. I think I was able to create a body of work that later influenced what pop music is today. This strange combination of pop and punk and dance that merges with performance art has become the status quo,” Spooner said

“I don't really think about genre. Our sound was originally inspired by early electro,” he said. “We work hard to find a unique sonic style. It is a combination of pop and punk and dance. But ultimately, if we are successful, it is its own thing.”

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According to Spooner, after Fisherspooner’s first album was released, critics associated the distinct sound with a genre called electro clash, a category invented as a way to define a new combination of do-it-yourself electronic music and performance.

Although Spooner’s reputation stemmed from producing music, Spooner believes his initial success was in the art world. “It is the place that I feel most comfortable working. We built the project as a portrait of entertainment. We would stage performances in galleries that would last for days and for many hours at a time. They would be totally immersive where the stage and all the performers would surround the audience. We were able to really manipulate time and space when we work in a museum or a gallery. We were creating a fantasy of entertainment.

“Eventually that fantasy became a reality and we starting participating in the entertainment industry. I enjoy working in the art world and in the entertainment business. The art world allows us more freedom creatively but entertainment allows us the opportunity to connect to a larger audience.”

His latest performance art masterpiece is in film. Submitted to the Tribeca Film Festival, DUST is a feature-length film produced in Kansas City and includes more than 30 local artists, actor Katie Rayle and a number of artists, writers and actors. “I am really proud of the feature film I am finishing right now called DUST. I co-wrote, shot, produced and directed with my fiance Adam Dugas. It is shaping up to be a really cool feature inspired by the Warhol/Morrissy films.”

In the glare of international success, Spooner has not forgotten where he came from and attributes his success to his teachers and his family. Spooner says instructors like Jim Campbell at the Greenville Fine Arts Center and Susanne Abrams at Christ Church were very supportive of his talent while in school.

“My father is a very charismatic lawyer and I think this is where my sense of performance began. My mother is an interior designer/visual artist and was my art teacher as a child — this is where my love of image began. My parents were always very supportive and I was always drawn to the arts.”

Experiencing numerous incarnations, Spooner has emerged as a deeper, more textured performance artist. So what could possibly be next?

“I just keep working. Following my interests. I feel like I am the same person, I just know more,” said Spooner. “The role of the artist is to push language forward in culture, to constantly be revising and re-establishing our connection to form. I want people to walk away feeling challenged and satisfied. Connected in a way they have never imagined.”